Who loves Vice President Pence more? McConnell or Ryan?

US Vice President Mike Pence (L) and Speaker of the House US Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) attend the State of the Union address in the chamber of the US House of Representatives in Washington, DC, on January 30, 2018. /(Photo: WIN MCNAMEE, AFP/Getty Images)

Congressional leaders competed with each other in heaping praise on Vice President Pence at a GOP retreat Wednesday.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., said Pence has taken on an "irreplaceable role" in the Trump administration.

When it was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's turn to formally introduce Pence before the vice president addressed his GOP colleagues, he seemed a bit jealous of Ryan. The speaker, McConnell said, "likes to lay claim to the vice president given their close friendship and past service together." (Ryan was a fellow rabble rouser with Pence when both served in the House.)

But, McConnell reminded his colleagues, Pence now “belongs to the Senate,” because he’s also president of the Senate under the Constitution. In modern times, that primarily means the vice president gets to break any ties. And Pence, McConnell noted, is “well on his way” to setting a record.

Pence has broken eight ties so far, most recently voting last week to confirm Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback as international religious freedom ambassador. At the start of only his second year on the job, Pence is now tied for 10th place for most tie-breaking votes cast. (The record is 31.)

And with the Senate split 51 to 49, Pence is likely to have more opportunities to be the decider.

“I’m starting to suspect we’ll be seeing more of him this year,” McConnell said before Pence delivered the first of several keynote addresses at Republicans' three-day retreat at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.

McConnell also called Pence a “consummate legislator in his own right,” who "does more than his share of the hard work to keep our united Republican government in fact united."

A joy to be back at the House and Senate Retreat with the men and women who helped make 2017 the MOST ACCOMPLISHED year for the conservative agenda in 30 years. pic.twitter.com/iSrWbsqU4w

When Pence spoke, he called it "a joy" to be at the retreat and promised the administration will be fighting with them to keep the GOP majority in what's expected to be a difficult midterm election. Republicans, Pence said, have a good story to tell about their accomplishments.

"President Trump and I," Pence said, "are going to be with you every step of the way in 2018 to tell that story to the American people."

Contact Maureen Groppe at mgroppe@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @mgroppe.